1 year contract for Willie.

Very strange, is what it is tho.

It's like watching your mother-in-law drive off a cliff in your brand new car, you're just not sure how to feel about it.

Great guy, loyal, gives 100% - but he's had injuries and he's no spring chicken and we have younger guys coming through.

Surprised, but if he's on buttons then it sort of makes sense. Even with Walters coming in and the emergence of Nsemba, it's not a position where we have lots of depth.

I'm going to go against the grain and say I'm happy with it. The injuries are a worry for sure but it's the first season he's been impacted by issues and hopefully it's a one off. When he has played, I think he's been very good actually.

I look at the squad and the second row area looks light in experience (if we're saying it's Nsemba and Walters competing with Faz for a spot). What those two younger lads don't lack though is talent, they have it in bucket loads and you don't want to hold them back. If we went out and signed an out and out starting second rower, who plays long minutes like Faz, you are really limiting the minutes Nsemba and Walters (if we play him there) could get in that position. To keep Isa around allows you an experienced head, who can drop in and out as needed and one who is a leader and sets a fantastic example of what being a professional rugby league player is all about.

The side is still a very young one and to keep Cooper and Isa around for the extra year is something I'm supportive of. I was worried we were heading for a scenario of Liam Farrell being pretty much our only experienced player/leader, so it makes total sense that we've avoided that.

Spot on.

As much as I love Willie Isa as a bloke and I think he was actually having his best season for a long time prior to his injury, I can’t say I am enthused by this at all. He will be 35 next season, coming off quite a big injury and he is also taking up a quota spot which means (to my knowledge) that if Mago also signs a 1 year deal we can’t sign another non federation player as it will be Cust out and Keighran in, unless Isa can get an exemption for being in the country for 12 years similar to what Tommy got? Still think we will be very well set for next season but I did have my hearts set on an experienced big second rower from Oz and the rumours on here about 2/3 signings had got me really excited.

I’m happy, like others have said experience in the pack and especially the second row. He give 100% he’s a good utility when fit and give 100%. I know he’s had his injuries this year but that game at Warrington at the peak of their season he was great hitting that line tiring out their forwards, he was instrumental to that win

Odd use of a quota spot

I think it's the form of Nsemba these past few weeks that confirms it as a good re-signing for me. When he first came in, I thought he did really well but in my mind I thought that he was really raw and would still only see him playing 5-10 games in 2024. This past few weeks has seen him take a number of steps forward, to the point where you could see him being heavily involved in 2024 and a move that jeopardises that could actually hurt us longer term. We cannot risk another Matty Nicholson style exit because a team elsewhere decides to offer him a load of cash and a starting spot. It's a balancing act but one I think we've got right here.

Plus also remember seeing an interview were Nsemba name checked Willie as someone to look up to and who inspired him.

Finally some news on this forum that doesn’t feel like stomach churning progress. Excellent.

I understand the need for experience in a young squad but I must admit I was hoping that we may have acquired an experienced nrl backrow forward.
I can see and acknowledge the merits of Isa but in total for me they are offset by a lack of any attacking attributes.

If as someone has suggested that he might not count as a quota player in 2024 then I would be happy with the extension otherwise I’m a little non plussed with the announcement.

I still wouldn’t be sure it totally rules it out. I think they want Isa to bring leadership and experience and that’s understandable. A lot will depend on where they see Walters playing. If it’s in the middle, they might want one more option in the back row and if it’s in the back row, I think they might still want another prop. It certainly doesn’t feel like money (other than cap space) will be an issue and it may now be as simple as Mago stays or somebody else comes in.

I believe Mago has been offered a one year deal so if true and he accepts it then means all quota slots have gone unless Isa is excluded from 2024.
I fully understand what Isa brings and personally I like his total commitment to the club however, his lack of size, pace and ball handling skills means that he brings very little to our attack. I’m not anti Isa but I was hoping we would significantly improve our back row in 2024.

I get it, I really do. I think in time we can improve the position but I do feel the need for that leadership and experience is pretty important for us next year, especially if somebody like Sam Powell is off. If we could get a guaranteed hit from the NRL, one who is experienced and brings leadership, that would’ve been ideal but there doesn’t look many options knocking about
(Not on the off contract list anyway).

If we do sign Mago back on, I can live with it. I look at how we’re going now and losing King and KPP is a blow but Keighran and Walters replace them. I think Leeming is an upgrade on Powell and Chan adds an extra option. We can add Cooper, Havard and Isa back in to a side, that is flying at the minute (obviously Dupree has already been brought in). Nsemba looks outstanding and Hill will be all the better for his games this year. There will be good competition for places in the forwards. Guys like Byrne, Havard, Smithies and O’Neill will be another year on in their development also, so I think we’re in a really healthy place regardless.

I’m a bit of a lone voice but I’m slightly underwhelmed by the changes so far in 2024.
King out Keighran in. No major improvement.
KPP out Walters in. No major improvement.
To cover the exits is good but I want improvements on where we are not just to stand still.
Leeming in. Currently I don’t understand this signing.
Chan could be anything.

I totally agree about another year in our young guys but if for instance Isa is in the starting 13 most weeks then I just don’t see any real significant improvement in our forwards where I still think we are somewhat short of a really good pack. Mago has improved but from such a low bar it wasn’t particularly difficult and will anyone be surprised if he goes back to being an ineffective 15 minutes per game passenger?
I know I will sound like a moaner but when I look at the net impact I just see standing still.

Again, I can get where you’re coming from with all that and maybe it’s just the current run giving a feel good factor but I’m happy with how things are shaping up. A young squad means there is so much room for current players to keep improving. I think we’ll see French far more comfortable at 6 as well. A starting 4 prop rotation of Byrne, Havard, Ellis and Dupree looks strong, with Cooper to come back in and Mago, Chan and Hill in the wings. We’ve got two good hookers IMO and a nice balance between both, 2 experienced second rowers and 2 potentially top class young ones and Smithies gets better and better at 13.


There is still potential for us signing a player not on quota. We paid cash for Dupree and if they’ve got cap space and see a realistic British player, there’s no saying Danson won’t say ‘go for it’.

I spoke to someone from the management team last week and he was suggesting that there won’t be another signing for 2024. Since that conversation the rumours about Farrell have grown so maybe his signing will be the cherry on top of the cake.
As you say there is a feel good factor at the moment but we are far far removed from being a really good team and I was expecting new signings to significantly improve the standard of the team. I’m looking for us to be the dominant team for the next few years and the current 2024 squad doesn’t look like it is capable of delivering silverware on an annual basis. People have forgotten our two 40 point drubbings, loss to Wakefield and a dismal CCSF defeat. I’m enjoying our current form but I’m conscious that a poor display could be just around the corner. Re French he’s still a rookie HB and it will be interesting how he goes in the playoffs when the intensity of games will increase several fold versus current games.
Maybe my expectations are too high or maybe I’m totally underestimating the current squad. We will find out by October if the current squad is the real deal.

I will never understand why Wigan fans want to sign Owen Farrell, same as I could never fathom the desperation to have Shaun Edwards coaching you.

It's all very Warrington.

But you're happy with Wellens?

Edwards is a top coach. The vast majority, if not all RU guys, who's been coached by him absolutely rave about him.

He'd have been a success. There's no doubt about it imo.

Edwards divided opinion, just as Farrell is now, so it’s hardly ‘Wigan fans’ as a whole.

And it really isn’t like Warrington is it? Wigan looking at bringing back people with a connection to the club, who are born winners and have won more trophies than Warrington have seen in their existence. Two guys who demand total professionalism and drive unforgiving standards at the clubs/countries they’re involved with. If that’s ‘Warrington like’ I must’ve just come around from a 20 year coma and missed Wire’s back to back decades of success! You’d think we were talking kids in toy cars, blokes in green spandex or signing troubled players/coaches here.

There isn’t a parallel between wellens and Edwards as a coach. One has been an assistant coach in RL for title winninrg teams and an international team.

The other hasn’t coached RL in any capacity that I’m aware of, at least any meaningful capacity, and hasn’t even been involved with the game for how long?

Put another way - if wello’s contract is up this year and I’m offered wellens, Peet or Edwards then Edwards is last on the list by a country mile.which is why I was hoping you signed him!

That's your opinion, you're entitled to it.

Just sounds like typical RL snobbery to be tho. Edwards is a top coach and has been for almost two decades now.

This will come as a shock to some, but RL isn't some massively complicated game. He can pick whatever he needs to up quick enough. Outside of that and knowing what he's like, he's probably more well versed on the latest developments than some RL head coaches.

What he does have and more than Wellens and Peet combined, is a history of motivating and working with players across a spectrum of abilities. He is, by all accounts, a top man manager.

I’m still not completely convinced that Wellens will be a long term success but to be fair he’s already won a WCC beating the most dominant team in the NRL by a distance, and in their own backyard

We’ve had the worst luck with injuries for a good few years and a plethora of bans (yes mostly self inflicted) and yet sit joint top of the league on PD. That’s after a sluggish start to the season with the expected dip after peaking so early for the WCC.

He’s hardly been a flop has he? The CC SF was disappointing of course but even that could’ve gone either way, we were a missed conversion from it going to golden point.